RECYCLING facilities in North Yorkshire are to be upgraded, thanks to an £80,000 investment by council bosses.

North Yorkshire County Council is to spend the money on a programme of improvements to the Household Waste Recycling Centre, at Malton.

Work will begin within weeks to provide a safer and more customer friendly service, with a wider range of recycling facilities.

County Councillor Clare Wood, pictured, executive member for environmental services said: "The new site will be much bigger, better and able to offer services not currently available at either of the existing sites at Malton or Norton.

"This programme will assist the county council to achieve recycling targets which are crucial to our need for a waste strategy which requires a major diversion of waste from landfill sites."

A council spokeman said there may be some disruption during the works, but this would be short term and kept to a minimum.